Two youths killed in police firing in Kashmir, toll now six (Second Lead)

SRINAGAR - Two youths were killed in separate incidents in Kashmir’s Bandipora and Baramulla districts when security forces fired on mobs attacking police camps. The deaths take the toll in police firings on protesters since Friday to six and the number of injured to over 60.

Elsewhere, mobs, defying curfew restrictions, attacked and burnt a building at the Sopore railway station, where two youths were killed in firing by security forces Friday, and stoned vehicles on the Jammu-Srinagar highway. Four vehicles, including two of the Indian Air Force and a fire tender, were torched in separate incidents.

Meanwhile, a meeting of ruling National Conference ministers and leaders decided to release all the arrested leaders and protesters and ask the central government to talk to local separatist leaders “without wasting any time”.

According to police, a mob of slogan-shouting protesters attacked the Naidkhai camp of the state armed police in Bandipora district Saturday afternoon.

“The policemen posted inside fired warning shots in the air which failed to quell the mob prompting police to open fire. Two people were critically wounded. One of them, identified as Mudasir Ahmad Lone, 23, later succumbed to injuries,” a police official here said.

A large procession of locals carried the body of the youth from Sumbal police station to Naidkhai village where more mourners joined them targeting security men with stones and rocks.

A teenager identified as Javaid Ahmad Teli sustained a serious gunshot injury when protesters in north Kashmir’s Baramulla town attacked security forces deployed in the area.

Teli, who suffered a critical head injury, was taken to the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences at Soura in Srinagar but later succumbed to his injury while undergoing treatment.

Earlier, three people including two women and a boy suffered gunshot injuries in north Kashmir’s Kreeri village where a mob attacked a camp of the local police.

The injured have since been admitted to hospitals in Srinagar city.

A large mob of protesters attacked vehicles plying on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway at Pampore town, 14 km from here in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

The mob also torched two vehicles of the Indian Air Force passing through the town during the protests.

All the occupants of the two vehicles, however, escaped unhurt. They took shelter in a local bank building before being rescued by the security forces.

The mob had surrounded the local police station in Pampore and the security forces are trying to disperse them using batons and tear smoke shells.

In Sopore town, mobs torched a building at the local railway station and also a fire tender that had reached there to douse the flames.

In south Kashmir’s Kakpora town, mobs hurled a petrol bomb at the vehicle of the local deputy superintendent of police.

“The officer and his guards escaped unhurt, but the vehicle was destroyed in the fire triggered by the petrol bomb,” police said.

According to police, the number of protesters and security men injured in Saturday’s clashes across the Valley is 12.

Two protesters were killed in Amargarh area of Sopore town Friday when mobs damaged the rail track there and two more were killed in the adjacent Pattan town where mobs attacked and torched the local police station.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah convened a meeting of his ministers and senior party leaders in Srinagar, which was also attended by his father and union Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah.

At the end of the meeting, a spokesman of the ruling party said the law and order situation in the Valley was reviewed.

“It was also decided to release all the arrested political leaders and youth very soon. The central government would be urged to start a dialogue with the local separatist leaders without wasting any further time.

“The MLAs (legislators) of the ruling party have been advised to remain stationed in their constituencies and monitor the situation there,” the spokesman said.